On this Day, in 1955: the Warsaw Pact came into existence in Central and Eastern Europe
On May 14, 1955, eight countries including the Soviet Union, Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary, signed the Warsaw Treaty, bringing intoContinue Reading
Tag: Communism
Soviet general Ivan Koněv stripped of Prague honorary citizenship
Prague, Czech Republic – Soviet Marshall Ivan Koněv will be stripped of his honorary citizenship of Prague, according to aContinue Reading
On this Day, in 1991: Czech artist David Černý famously painted Soviet tank No. 23 in pink
On the night of April 27-28, Czech student David Černý and a group of friends painted a Soviet commemorative monumentContinue Reading
The Polish Institute of National Remembrance, or the danger of politicising history
Krakow, Poland – In 1998, the Polish Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) was created, in their own words, to “popularizeContinue Reading
Czech Republic adds two new memorial days to national calendar
Prague, Czech Republic – Two new memorial dates have been added to the Czech calendar and included in the country’sContinue Reading
Czech Republic recognises Holodomor famine in Ukraine as genocide
Prague, Czech Republic – The Czech Republic has officially recognised the man-made Holodomor famine as a genocide against the UkrainianContinue Reading
On this Day, in 1990: the “Hyphen War” split Czechoslovakia in two
On March 29, 1990, the Great Hyphen Debate, also referred to as the “Hyphen war”, erupted in Czechoslovakia, leading toContinue Reading
Russia warns Slovakia against delivery of Soviet-made air defence system to Ukraine
Bratislava, Slovakia – Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has warned Slovakia against supplying Ukraine with the Soviet-made S-300 air defenceContinue Reading
What is Polish-Hungarian Friendship Day really about?
Budapest, Hungary – March 23 marks Polish-Hungarian Friendship Day, formalised on that same day in 2007 by the Hungarian Parliament,Continue Reading
Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia to leave Soviet-era banks
Prague, Czech Republic – A group of Central and Eastern European countries have announced their intention to quit Soviet-era internationalContinue Reading
On this Day, in 1978: Vladimír Remek became the first non-Soviet, non-American astronaut to go to space
On March 2, 1978, Czech cosmonaut Vladimír Remek became the first and only Czech to fly to space, and theContinue Reading
Who were Poland’s “Cursed Soldiers”?
Warsaw, Poland – In 2011, the lower house of the Polish Parliament adopted a law honouring “the heroes of theContinue Reading
Who was Otakar Vávra, the controversial “father of Czech cinema”?
Prague, Czech Republic – One of the most prolific Czech directors and screenwriters of all time, Otakar Vávra’s incredible careerContinue Reading
Five great Czech movies directed by Věra Chytilová
Prague, Czech Republic – One of the most talented Czech filmmakers of her generation, the works of Věra Chytilová stillContinue Reading
CineClub: Ashes and Diamonds (1958), by Andrzej Wajda
Revisiting old classics, discovering hidden gems and exploring the contemporary movie scene: every month, Kafkadesk’s CineClub brings you new insightsContinue Reading
New book explores legacy of Vaclav Havel through series of exclusive interviews
Prague, Czech Republic – A new bilingual book, published in both Italian and English, looks at the legacy of CzechContinue Reading
Ba Lan: the untold story of Poland’s Vietnamese diaspora
Poland is a largely mono-ethnic country whose minorities are rarely depicted in the media. In her fascinating project “Ba Lan”,Continue Reading
On this Day, in 1956: the Hungarian Revolution toppled the Communist regime
On October 23, 1956, a peaceful student demonstration against the Communist regime in Budapest escalated into a full-scale revolution, whichContinue Reading
Konvergencie, 50 years on: The album that changed Slovakia’s musical scene
Bratislava, Slovakia – Not every year can we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the breakthrough album that radically changed Slovakia’sContinue Reading
Iconic photographer donates 2,000 photos to Czech Republic
Prague, Czech Republic – The world-famous Czech-born photographer Josef Koudelka said he was donating almost 2,000 of his photographs toContinue Reading